Questionable Decisions
by xoxocamille
Summary: He knew that many things could possibly go wrong with this scenario, that the world wouldn't agree to this, but for some reason, none of it mattered to him. Was it worth to risk it all for one Lois Lane?


**AN:** Wow, I haven't been on FF for years! I'm a little late to the party, but it's always better to be late than never! This story is set around New Year's Eve, when the idea first came to me. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Questionable Decisions**

It was the last day of the year, and as Clark Kent entered the bullpen of the _Daily Planet_, he immediately took notice of one Lois Lane typing furiously on a small, brightly-lit screen.

"Hey Lane, how 'bout I'll be your date tonight instead?"

Looking disgusted, Lois shifted her gaze from her phone to a tall, slender man. "Try the next lifetime, buddy," she scoffed as she watched the man walk away, giggling. Her eyes quickly focused back on her phone, sending the text message.

"Someone's actually taking _you_ out tonight? Careful Lois, you don't want to scare your date away by thinking you have a bigger appetite than him," Clark said, sarcasm coating his words.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Tardy McLate," Lois replied, rolling her eyes. "Fashionably late, as always."

Clark removed his navy blue coat, set it on the chair, and checked his wrist for the time. It was nine twenty-five in the morning.

"Oh come on, I was kidding! What's this date I'm hearing about?"

Lois tilted her head upright as she took a good look at Clark, standing across the table, looking at the stack of folders on his desk. Her eyebrows raised in suspicion at his latest statement.

"What's with the sudden interest in my personal life, Smallville? Last time I checked, you & I don't run the gossip column," she answered, her eyes never taking off of him.

A little surprised at her comeback remark, Clark suddenly found himself wondering about his own curiosity. _Why am I interested? It has nothing to do with me..it's her life, she can do whatever she wa—_

"Well if you must really know, Chloe set me up on this blind date with some guy. She thinks I'm _desperate_ to have someone to spend the New Year's Eve with," she said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh no, you don't come across as desperate at all. Never," he replied as his eyes playfully met hers.

"How about you, hm? What wild celebration is Clark Kent up to tonight? Let me guess, it includes you, a microwavable dinner, and _Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve._ Don't get too crazy now!"

"Ha-ha-ha. Very funny, Lois," Clark said, watching Lois as she bit the cap of her pen, smirking. "Let's go, we still have a lot of work to do."

* * *

With Chloe off in Belize with Oliver as part of his grandiose holiday present, Clark had no one to spend the New Year's Eve with. Every year, Martha always made it a priority to spend the holidays with Clark, but since she was hit with a terrible case of fever and flu, she was unable to travel back to Smallville. Clark decided that it was best for her to stay home and that he'd visit her instead.

"How are you feeling?" Clark asked, his voice full of worry. He had been visiting his mother for the past few days, super-speeding to D.C. straight after work to check on her condition.

"A little better than before. I just need some rest," Martha answered weakly, her hands gripping Clark's. "I'm really sorry for not being able to come home. I feel horrible for breaking our yearly tradi-"

"Shh. It's okay Mom, really. Go back to sleep; I'll be sitting right here if you need me," he uttered, interrupting her mid-sentence. He could care less about the yearly tradition when it came to his mother's wellness.

"Why, you're spending your New Year's Eve like this?" Martha asked, meeting her son's eyes.

"It's fine, Mom. Chloe and Oliver are both out of the country so there's really no one to spend the New Year's Eve with back in Smallville," he replied.

"What about Lois? That poor girl must be there all alone…she must want some company!"

_You don't need to worry about her,_ he thought to himself, thinking about how her date is going. All of a sudden, for some reason he couldn't explain he found himself feeling a little…_Was it anger? Jealousy?_ _But there was no reason to be!_

Not wanting to explain Lois' whole situation, Clark simply told his mom something that would make her abandon the topic. "Don't worry, she told me that she was just going to watch the Monster Truck Marathon with some beer and pizza tonight. It's completely harmless and she's completely satisfied."

"You act as if you two don't even know each other! Now, it's obvious that with Chloe gone, Lois must feel a bit lonesome. She might not say it or show it, but I'm sure a part of her feels that way. Since you're not preoccupied, it would be nice if you come over to her place and grace her the pleasure of your company."

"Mom, Lois is fine. Besides, I'm watching over you," he answered back, a subtle hint of irritation in the tone of his voice.

"Like I told you, I'm feeling better. I just need rest, is all. If I need you, I'll call you…" Martha yawned, her eyes becoming droopier.

"But Mom—"

"No buts, Clark. Promise me you'll come over and see Lois. Promise m…" Before Martha even finished her sentence, she fell asleep, leaving Clark in silence with a promise he can't refuse.

* * *

"Can I get you another glass of water, ma'am?" A woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties asked, taking the empty glass away from the table where Lois sat.

"Actually I'm fine, thank you," Lois replied, smiling at the waitress. It had been twenty-three minutes since she arrived at the restaurant where she would meet her date, and much to her dismay, he was nowhere to be found. Her patience was growing thin; she wasn't the type to wait for someone, rather, people wait for _her_. At that particular moment, she hated Chloe for making her go along with this stupid blind date. _I could be watching the Monster Truck Marathon by now, _she thought to herself angrily.

"Just to remind you again ma'am, reservations expire after 30 minutes. It's New Year's Eve, and as you can see, it's really busy. I will have to ask you to give up your table soon. I'm sorry," said the waitress, her voice sounding a little hesitant. It was obvious in the tone of her voice that she felt bad for Lois, but at the same time, she was only doing her job. It was all Lois could do to prevent from screaming at the girl in frustration. Knowing her demeanor, she would've caused a scene a long time ago but kept herself calm and collected.

"I understand, thanks again," she replied, fixating her eyes on the clock. It was now seven twenty-five. _Where could he be?_

* * *

"Good evening, sir. How many people at your party?"

A man dressed in a dark gray suit with an elaborately coiffed hair greeted Clark at the entrance of _Symphonia_, an upscale seafood restaurant just a few blocks down from the _Daily Planet_. Since Martha had fallen asleep, he sought it as an opportunity to go back to the farm and unwind after a long and busy day at work. With no leftover food waiting for him back in the farm, Clark thought of getting some take-out, treating himself to a fancy, lonesome dinner for New Year's Eve.

"Oh no, I'd like to see the menu for a to-go please," he replied kindly, smiling the man's way.

The man handed Clark an elaborate book of the restaurant's menu, with the front cover full of intricate designs. "Just to remind you sir, the restaurant's a little packed tonight, so your order might take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes."

"That won't be a problem," Clark answered assuredly. _Not like I have somewhere else to be, _he thought to himself as his eyes rested on the menu he was holding. Should Martha wake up and need him, he could simply super-speed to D.C. and make it back in time to pick up his order.

_Mom_…thinking about his mother's wellness caused him to think about the promise at hand. _Promise me you'll see Lois…_ his mother's last words now flood his head. _But Lois won't be needing my company tonight, she's on a blind date! Besides, I see her on the Daily Planet all the time, isn't that company enough?_ Clark thought to himself, trying to come up with justifiable reasons to excuse him out of the commitment. _Promise me…_ he could almost hear his mother's voice out loud, saying the words over and over. But why was it so hard to expunge it out of his consciousness? Was he feeling, dare he say it, guilty?

Finally knowing what he had an appetite for, Clark went back to the podium where the man was standing and gave his order. _Maybe I should just do a quick call, ask Lois how her date is going. _Did he really want to know? _Isn't it rude to call others while they're on a date?_ Maybe he was a little curious. _No, I'm just feeling a little guilty. _But why would he feel guilty? Was there any reason to be? _I won't feel guilty about this..I won't._

As his head spun around with the idea of fulfilling his mother's promise and not wanting to bother Lois, Clark felt the need to clear his head. The boastful noises around the crowded restaurant, along with the voices surrounding his head, made him want to find a quick getaway. There was no reason to complicate his night with this ridiculous idea Martha cooked up, and there was certainly no way his night was going to be ruined because of one Lois Lane.

* * *

_Seven thirty-five pm._

Feeling slightly nervous but not wanting to lose her composure, Lois' eyes made a quick scan around the restaurant once again. _Nope, not him,_ she thought, _…and that guy is meeting his wife, _she sighed. This is exactly why she doesn't like agreeing to any of Chloe's set-ups, because they never go according to plan. While still looking around the room to see if her date had finally arrived, her phone made a loud vibrating noise, almost startling her.

_You have one new message, _the screen read. It was from her supposed blind date.

_Ms. Lane, I am terribly sorry, but I don't think I'm able to make it for our date tonight. Something's come up that requires my immediate attention. Perhaps we can reschedule for another time? I wish you a Happy New Year._

"Reschedule for another time?! _The nerve!_" Lois cried, to which caught the young waitress' attention. It was then that Lois realized that her reservation was up and the young lady was coming over to finally kick her out.

Slamming her phone on the table, Lois was beyond enraged. She sat in that crowded restaurant for over half an hour, waiting for him, and now, was about to be asked to leave. _I will never forgive you for this one, Chloe!_ she thought to herself, fuming. She felt humiliated, sure, but felt more frustrated at her cousin for making her go on this date all to relieve herself of the guilt of leaving Lois behind as she soaked up the sun in Belize.

"Is everything all right, ma'am?" A voice nearby disrupted her train of thought. Lois fixed her composure and answered calmly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It was just my boss, he's pushing the deadline a little earlier than I expected," she said, lying through her teeth. Her mission for the next minute was to remove herself from the restaurant without causing a scene.

"Oh, I see. Well, is your date coming soon? I gave you an extra five minutes to wait but my boss is standing right there so I'll have to ask to you to…"

Before the next word even came out of the waitress' lips, a loud, deep voice quickly interrupted her from behind.

_Hey, Lois!_

_Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. It can't be. _Lois knew who that voice belonged to. She couldn't be wrong.

* * *

After making his order, Clark made his way around the restaurant to the restroom to refresh. He'd decided that it wasn't worth the trouble of making himself feel guilty for not fulfilling his mother's wishes, as Lois was already with someone else's company tonight. As he exited the bathroom and made his way out to the front, he saw what looked like Lois' silhouette. Before he even had time to think, his body naturally reacted and called out her name.

"Lois!" He exclaimed once again. _What am I doing? _He excused the thought from memory and just went along with it.

* * *

_Smallville?! But what in the world is he doing here? _A million thoughts raced in Lois' mind. It was already embarrassing enough to get stood up on a date, but to have someone she knew—Clark, especially—find out about it? _This cannot be happening. _As she heard his voice come closer, her body froze, unable to move a single muscle. _What am I going to do?_Capturing the attention of both Lois and the waitress, the young girl's eyes quickly focused on the man wearing a navy blue dress shirt complimented with a red tie. It matched the color of Lois' dress easily.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I think that man is calling out for—"

Five feet. Four. Three. Two. The voice was coming closer and closer. There was no way to escape it. _Just do it, Lane. Just do it, _she thought to herself as she stood up and faced Clark, pretending to look excited. Deep inside, she was terrified and unsure of just how he'd react. _Don't worry, he'll forgive you. He always does._

"Clark! I'm over here, honey!" She waved her hand as the waitress stood on the side, bewildered.

With the loud music and noises surrounding the entire restaurant, Clark didn't hear what Lois said. He watched her, smiling from ear to ear, almost as if she was extremely excited to see him. Noticing that there was no one occupying the seat across from her, he figured that her date hasn't arrived yet. His concern over the idea of him interrupting her date slowly dissipated away.

"Hey Lois!" he moved an inch closer. "How's the dat—"

Before he could even finish his words, Lois' arms surprised him as they wrapped around his neck, holding him in what seemed like a romantic embrace. Sure, he and Lois hugged plenty of times in the past, but something about the way she held him tonight felt off. He couldn't describe it, but for a brief moment, for some unexplained reason, he felt what he could only recognize was a natural stirring coming from within.

"Smallville, I swear if you don't play along you won't get to live to see the next year," she whispered in his ear, threatening him. While the threat wasn't something to be taken seriously, puzzlement masked his entire face. _What did she get herself into now?_

* * *

"Looks like you won't have to give up this table after all," the young waitress told Lois, smiling at the matching couple. Her eyes now focused on Clark's. "You really shouldn't keep your lady waiting!" she added.

Still stunned and unsure of what was going on, Clark couldn't help but feel confused. Many thoughts clouded his already perplexed mind. First, what was Lois up to? She wasn't being her normal self, and that made him feel uneasy. Second, that brief moment of _natural stirring_. Where did that come from? What was that all about? It couldn't possibly be for one Lois Lane, could it?

Lois smiled back at the waitress who kept her eyes locked on Clark. "Oh, he's just the busy type, that's all," she said, followed by a nervous laugh. She then took a deep breath and kissed Clark on the cheek, her own cheeks now flushed red in embarrassment. "How was your day, honey?"

Eyes widening, Lois searched for Clark's eyes to meet hers. _Just go with it, please, _she mouthed, her back facing the waitress. Hoping to get some type of explanation later, he smiled at Lois and answered, "It was fine…I'm sorry for not meeting you sooner." His voice sounded genuine and sincere.

"Why don't I let the two of you enjoy each other's company for a second? I'll be back to get your orders in a few," the waitress let out, leaving Clark and Lois still holding each other's gaze.

* * *

"Can you believe that jerk? I mean, he has some balls to ask me if we can reschedule!"

After stuffing their mouths with delicious food from the restaurant, Clark walked Lois out to drop her off in her car. Their little charade of being a couple inside the restaurant was finally over.

"Maybe you should give him another chance. Unexpected things _can_ happen," Clark replied, heavily implying about their unexpected run-in at the restaurant.

"Oh no, no, no. Never again," she said, as she let out a sigh. She was quite surprised at how well Clark was taking in all that had happened at the restaurant. She'd assumed that he would be mad at her, let alone be making fun of her from the start, never letting her live it down, but instead, he was very understanding about the entire situation. She sort of even…admired him. He was _admirable_.

As they reached the parking lot, Lois pulled out her car keys inside her black purse. Darkness now enveloped the sky and the loud crackling sound of fireworks can be heard within a distance.

"Well, thanks for dinner, Smallville. I'm sorry for making you go through that whole ordeal back at the restaurant. The least I could've done was pay, especially since you'd already bought some food to eat back home. Next time it's my treat," she smiled as she opened the car door.

"Don't worry about it. Just promise me you won't force me to be your pretend boyfriend ever again," he joked.

"Ha! Well I can't promise you that," she remarked, grinning. Soon as she placed her purse on the passenger's seat, it was then that she wondered where Clark had parked his own vehicle.

"Where did you park?"

"Park?"

"Yeah, your car?" Lois asked, her eyes examining the crowded parking lot for a large red truck.

Since Clark had been visiting his mother for the past few days, he'd skipped out on bringing his truck to work. Super-speeding to D.C. then back to Smallville saved him tons of time from being stuck in traffic during the commute home, and no one really took notice. At least, not until now.

"Oh, right. Well I've been having some car trouble lately, so I've been relying on good old public transportation," he said, feeling slightly terrible for lying to Lois.

"Well then what are you still doing there standing? Get in!"

"Nah, the bus stop is just right around the corner," he said as he looked and pointed his finger to the right.

"You're kidding. After what I put you through tonight? Come on!" she pleaded as she walked over to him, pulling him closer to her car.

"I don't really want to be a bother…"

"If you really don't want to be a bother, Smallville, I suggest you stop refusing and just get in the car," she scolded. "Here, you can be the driver if it makes you feel a little bit better," she said as she planted the car keys on the palm of his hand and ran to the passenger's seat.

* * *

"Wow, this is beautiful! How did I not know about this?"

Finally giving up the fight, Clark got in Lois' car and drove back to Smallville. Along the way, they were talking about a wide variety of topics, from work, sports, the _Monster Truck Marathon_, even Whitesnake, courtesy of Lois' undying love for them. Somewhere in between those topics, Clark was able to convince Lois to go see the fireworks show at the carnival just a few miles away from the Talon. It was the perfect way to end what turned out to be a weird, confusing but funny night filled with pretend hugs and kisses on the cheek.

"Well, you always spent your New Year's Eve at a bar somewhere in Metropolis," Clark reminded her, still never fully appreciating the simplicity and warmth Smallville offered its residents.

"Ah, right," she replied, remembering those past few years when she would sometimes even drag Chloe to come with her to Metropolis. With Chloe gone this year, she decided to ditch the yearly tradition and come up with a new tradition that involved her sitting in front of the tv and watching the _Monster Truck Marathon_.

"Hello, sir! Would you like to buy your beautiful girlfriend a pretty red rose? Help us out in our fundraiser!" A little boy exclaimed, looking up at Lois and Clark. He held out his right hand with a red rose while the other tugged on Clark's pants.

"Sure, why not," Clark uttered, crouching down to meet the boy's gaze. "She is beautiful, isn't she?" he added, now looking up at Lois, giving her a slight wink. It immediately flushed Lois' cheeks red.

"You're very lucky," the boy whispered in Clark's ear.

"I am, aren't I?" Clark mused, clapping the boy's shoulder before standing up. He then laid his eyes on Lois who now had a puzzled look on her face.

"What was that all about?" she asked, demanding an answer.

"Oh, nothing," Clark replied, followed by a sly grin. "Let's go," he said, leaving Lois behind. She quickly trailed him, picking up her pace. "Smallville, wait up!"

* * *

"Is it so bad, being your girlfriend?" Lois joked, looking down at the pavement.

"I don't know…" Clark answered playfully.

"Hey!" Lois remarked, slamming her bag on his arm.

"I'm kidding," he said as he held out the rose. "For you."

Looking up at him, then looking down at the rose, Lois took it away from his grasp and brought it close to her nose. The aroma gave off a sweet, gentle scent. "Mm, thank you," she breathed, smiling. _Who knew Clark Kent could be so romantic?_

As the clock almost struck midnight, Lois and Clark finally made it at the far east end of the carnival, where the fireworks show was supposed to be held. Many people filled the area, mostly couples, but some also brought kids who were busy finishing off bags of pastel-colored cotton candies and lollipops.

"You okay?" Clark asked, watching Lois as she shivered in her coat.

"Yeah, fine. You?" she returned, her breath forming a cloud of fog. She couldn't stop shivering as she was only wearing a short red dress with a thin black cardigan.

Clark removed his coat and wrapped it around Lois. "Here, seems like you need it more than I do."

"No, seriously, there's no need, I'm really fi—"

"Just say thank you, Lois."

As Clark rested the thick black coat around Lois, she got a quick whiff of its smell. It had a very distinctive fougere scent, representing Clark for everything that he was: Warm. Hard-working. Strong. Confident. Caring. Manly. _…Attractive?_

"Thanks, I suppose," she said, her head tilting up as her eyes caught Clark's for a brief moment. She stared at them intently, memorizing every feature, the way they looked back at hers with such a glow. For that short instant, it was almost as if she was seeing an entirely new person; he wasn't the Clark she'd grown to tease and ridicule in front of others. Instead, his selflessness and thoughtfulness compelled her.

"All right folks, just less than a minute until the new year! Who's counting down with me?" A loud voice came from the speakers that stood just a few yards away from where Clark and Lois were. This caused them to break off their momentary eye contact and looked opposite ways.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! _Happy New Year!_" The crowd let out a loud scream as fireworks went off and flew to the sky. Shades of red, yellow, green, and blue covered the horizon as everyone cheered and jumped, celebrating the new year. What followed next surprised both Lois and Clark.

"Whoa there," Lois let out, a little surprised from what she was witnessing. Pairs of couples swarming the area exchanged kisses which, to Lois, seemed to last for hours. She felt a little uncomfortable, but knew that this was something to be expected from couples. _New Year's Kiss,_ she thought. She's had her fair share of new year's kisses but erased them all from memory.

"And I thought carnivals are for kids," Clark joked, his body now mirroring Lois'. He tilted his head up at the sky and then down at her. "Happy New Year, Lois."

The illumination from the fireworks caught Lois perfectly, her eyes twinkling like a million stars, the tint of her complexion radiating a soft, shiny glow. Her lips gave off a sparkling reddish-pink hue, and the way they were pursed made her look breathtaking. Right at that moment, temptation took over and Clark no longer resisted to fight the urge.

"Happy New Year, Small—"

Before she even had time to finish, Clark secured his arms around Lois, locking her in an embrace, as he quickly crushed his lips onto hers. He felt that weird thing again, that thing he could only describe as a _natural stirring_, when Lois hugged him back at the restaurant. Now that his hands were wrapped around her waist, his lips touching hers, that feeling inside him grew stronger and stronger. _And nothing made him feel more alive._

Astonished, Lois' eyes grew wide from the ambush kiss but slowly found herself kissing him back. Gradually, her eyes closed as she felt his hands pulling her in closer, the space between them before now vanished. However, she was just as surprised when, just as soon as she got caught in the moment, Clark quickly pulled away, his eyes unable to meet hers.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he apologized, feeling awful for kissing her without her permission.

"No, don't be," she breathed as her lips quivered. It was surprising enough that Clark kissed her, but what surprised her even more was how she suddenly felt this sense of longing soon as their lips parted. It was almost as if she wanted…_another._ No, she wanted _him_.

Her hands quickly reached up to touch his face as she moved forward, pressing her body against his. Without any warning, she planted her lips on his, kissing him again with such passion, filling that void she felt soon as he let her go. She'd kissed many guys before, Oliver included, but this kiss felt different. Something about the way Clark kissed her made her weak; he made her feel as if she could let her guard down, that she didn't need to be afraid to finally let someone in. It was a kiss that simply made her want something…_more._

* * *

"Well, we're here."

The drive back to the Talon was eerily silent. After sharing not one, but two kisses soon as the clock struck midnight, Lois and Clark hadn't said a word to one another as the silence made a loud, deafening noise. They were going to have to address the situation somehow, but neither wanted to start the painful conversation.

The two exited the car as Clark walked Lois to the front door. "Thanks for dropping me off, Smallville. Oh, and for the dinner. And the fireworks." She stopped herself from talking any further.

"Anytime," he replied.

He flashed a smile at Lois' way and quickly bowed his head, signaling her that he was leaving. With the Talon just a few minutes away from the Kent farm, Clark slowly made his way down the steps and started walking towards the empty road.

"Hey, you-uh, want to come in for a nightcap?" she began, sounding unsure, "I mean, _Monster Truck_ is probably still on and we can drink this expensive wine Oliver gave me for Christmas," she blurted out.

_No, I shouldn't. I really shouldn't._

With his back still facing her, Clark answered, rubbing his temples together as he looked down on the ground. "No-uh, maybe we can just wait until Chloe and Oliver come back from their vacation. It's probably better, with them here, I mean. Goodnight, Lois." His feet started moving again.

"Clark! Stay with me, please?"

Those words were enough to stop him dead on his tracks. Deep down, he knew it wasn't right, taking up Lois' offer, going inside her apartment at this time of the night, especially when he was her co-worker, column partner, his best friend's cousin, and now…_kissing partner?_

Before he could even change his mind, Clark turned back towards Lois and took a step forward, followed by another step, and another, until he reached the front door where she stood. Without even saying a word, he took her hand, smiled, and followed her inside as he closed the door behind him. He knew that many things could possibly go wrong with this scenario, that the world wouldn't agree to this, but for some reason, none of it mattered. He only knew one thing for sure, and that was he wanted to be with Lois right here, at this moment, right now.

* * *

**PS.** I'll leave it up for interpretation as to what happened behind closed doors. I like to think that Clark Kent is a gentleman, but that's just me. :)


End file.
